Link: “Evidence” of NHS privatisation plans

Channel 4 news reports on documents which GPs say represent “firm evidence that the government is planning to privatise the National Health Service as part of its reforms.”:

“Richard Vautrey, deputy chair of the British Medical Association’s (BMA) GP committee, said that the document was quite explicit in suggesting that the government was going to create a market for private companies to come in and take over these services and that commissioning groups would be too small do without support.

“… Doctors Channel 4 News has spoken to point to two pages in particular in the document. On page 14, the “back office functions” are laid out, which doctors say include “identifying best value providers to respond to service needs. Formal contract management, tendering and negotiations.”

“Page 16 states that clinical procurement – that is, purchasing healthcare – should be carried out at an appropriate scale, which includes learning disability and community services.”

The broadcast report on the documents is embedded below: